STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) — A program designed to help children with disabilities is now coming after families for tens of thousands of dollars after benefiting from these programs for years.

One mother says in her case, it could cost them $20,000.

Rachel McFarlin says she doesn’t understand why her son is being charged $20,000, and now she wants answers.

“Everything was fine and dandy, we had no problems,” McFarlin said. “And then all of a sudden in the past month we get bum rush with this letter saying everything is shut down on my nine year old son, and they’re coming after him for $20,000.”

McFarlin is confused and frustrated after getting this letter in the mail from the SSI, asking for more than $20,000, as well as saying her son can no longer participate in disability assisting programs.

“He no longer has his medical for his therapy,” McFarlin continued. “He’s autistic, he’s sensory disorder, he is 51% blind and will be blind by the age of 18, and he’s got intellectual disabilities.”

She said this all started when a check written to them for her son’s account got lost in the mail. SSI sent another, then both got delivered, but she only cashed one.

“This is the second check that they sent because the first check that they sent me a month or two ago had gotten lost in the mail,” McFarlin stated. “So they sent out another one. Well, the other one showed up. I never cashed this one. I only cashed the one.”

However, in the letter, it stated that the overpayment into her son’s account happened between July 2021 through Sept. 2023, saying he was overpaid because his parents’ wages have increased.

McFarlin says their household has not received any additional income.

The letter shows how to appeal the overpayment charge, but when she went down to the Social Security Administration Office to do so, they wouldn’t let her.

“I wanted to appeal and I wanted a waiver and I couldn’t get that,” McFarlin said. “All that they would give me is that right there to reduce the overpayment.”

News 4 got in contact with the Social Security Administration, who didn’t want to comment on the issue until speaking with the family.

KFOR got Rachel in contact with them and she reached out however,, at the time this story published, she had not heard back.